Shooting Outside of MGM Grand Leads to Injuries as Crime Persists on Las Vegas Strip

Posted on: November 14, 2020, 01:11h. 

Last updated on: November 14, 2020, 05:47h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Las Vegas Strip violent crime continued this weekend, with one person getting wounded outside of the MGM Grand Friday night.

Much of the uptick in violence was blamed on gangs and out-of-state visitors
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo speaks during a 2018 press conference. He is leading an initiative to curb a recent spike in violent crime on the Las Vegas Strip. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Based on initial Las Vegas Metro police reports, the shooting took place shortly before midnight after two people got into a struggle. The unnamed shooter later was arrested, Metro police told local newspapers.

Details on the injuries were unknown as of Saturday. Earlier, several gun-related crimes and other violence have been seen along The Strip in recent months.

Firearm Discharged in MGM Grand

Last month, the MGM Grand Las Vegas casino was the scene of another altercation between two unidentified men. That culminated with a bullet being fired onto the casino floor, police said. The two were struggling over a handgun when it discharged.

A third person took the gun from the suspect. There were no injuries from the gun’s discharge. The incident took place near casino elevators.

Elsewhere on The Strip, an unnamed youngster was arrested on multiple charges for last Saturday night’s shooting at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino’s Metrodome. The assailant allegedly pulled out a handgun during a dispute.

Four victims required hospital treatment. They were believed to be either teenagers or young adults.

The alleged shooter is charged with attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm where a person is endangered, and minor in possession of a firearm.

The suspect was apprehended last Saturday night after he was located in a hotel room at Circus Circus. His name was not released because of his age.

Earlier this week, Metro police arrested a 26-year-old man accused of beating a person at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino RV park on The Strip. The incident was livestreamed on social media.

Shawn Guthrie was arrested on a felony battery charge for the Nov. 8 attack. The victim, Aldo Rivas, was hospitalized at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. He was listed in serious condition as of earlier this week. He was placed on a ventilator, news reports said.

People watching a livestream of the incident reported to police that a man had been hit at the park and had passed out, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Police have blamed much of the uptick in recent violent crime on gangs and out-of-state visitors. In response, Metro police and Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo joined with other law enforcement agencies in stepping up enforcement along The Strip and in other areas popular with tourists. It has made some progress, police have said.

“We’re seeing our crime problem, that we identified a couple of months ago, start to decrease,” Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. Dori Koren told reporters last week. “But not enough yet.”

Metro Police Face Absences Because of COVID-19

The enforcement initiative comes as more than 2,000 Las Vegas Metro police officers have been ordered to isolate for two weeks because of exposure to COVID-19.

Officials of the local police union, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, responded in a podcast that most of the coronavirus exposures do not lead to officers getting sick. But the police department requires them to stay home, the Review-Journal reported on Friday.